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Monday, April 05, 2010

Supporting GOP Chairman Michael Steele

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele is in hot water, again. He is taking flack from both sides of the political aisle over today's interview on a morning chat news show. He was on the morning chat news show to talk about recent criticisms over some money authorizations presented by staff in the party.

This guy can't win.

He's damned if he does, he's damned if he doesn't. From the beginning of his term, there as been a small segment of loud and arrogant critics that feel free to condemn every moves he makes. This small arrogant and loud contingency likes to think they are the final word on what it means to be a Republican but they don't really bother to call themselves Republicans. They prefer the label of Conservative. That's fine. But, if you aren't calling yourself a Republican, do you have the right to criticize? Sure you do. This is America. You have freedom of speech. For now, anyway. But, is your criticism any more weighty than that of a Democrat? No. You both are pushing agendas.

The members of the press are only too happy to oblige with stories of discontent within the GOP over Chairman Steele. They are the most stalwart of Obama cheerleaders and they are the keepers of the stereotypes.

Here's what I think - I think Michael Steele could use a little support. Many are simply jealous of his time in the media. Many don't approve of his unfiltered speaking style. Fine. Steele could be a bit more tempered in his remarks. But, I like a person strong enough to speak up. I am tired of wallflowers at the top of the national party unwilling to go on the record. I like a person willing to take a chance. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. That's life.

Yes, it is appropriate to criticize expenditures from Steele's office that you think are extravagant or inappropriate. That is, if you are a contributor in the first place. Those most proud of their opposition to the national GOP right now are those who have bragged for several years that they no longer contribute to the party. That's fine, too. I strongly believe in voting with your wallet. I'm a fiscal conservative.

Today, Steele spoke of his race. As a black man in a powerful position, he brought in the president, too. He said he has a "slimmer margin of error because of their race", as referenced in the article on ABC News.com. The question wording of "slimmer margin" came from the interviewer, I might add, not from Steele. It was not as wannabe Chairman Ken Blackwell, also a black conservative, said that Steele was falling back on the race card. How ridiculous.

Naturally, the Democrats were aghast at Steele having the nerve to point out the obvious - that he and POTUS are both black men and that minorities have a slimmer margin of error in the workforce. As a woman, I know exactly what he means. Women deal with the same thing. The point is, if you are not a white male then there are obstacles. It's the truth.

Here's a quote from Thomas Sowell, a black conservative writer: "When you want to help people you tell them the truth. When you want to help yourself, you tell them what they want to hear." Makes sense, doesn't it? Think of the current president and how he campaigned like any ole moderate. He got the votes. Then he tossed the ball to the far left in Congress and America is angry about being taken for a ride.

Steele is out there and he's passionate about GOP politics. He wants to win. He's just a guy. But, he's our guy. He brings the Democrats to hysterics because he's not an old white guy. And, Steele is not afraid to talk about the realities of race in America. I want to encourage that. I don't want to stifle Steele - I want to encourage him to ratchet back a smidge and soldier on.

The top task of the party chairman is to raise money. Steele has done an admirable job of that. Some months he has outraised the Democrats. In a political climate that is not to the GOP due to a far left ideologue in the White House, Chicago politics and recent GOP governance by some, Steele's record is praise worthy.

I would ask that we remember the political enemy. It is not fellow GOPers. It is the Democrats. I would ask that we pull together and win in November. This is an important election. Steele has seen the election of Republicans in Governor's races in New Jersey and Virginia. A Republican Senator now represents Massachusetts. Tea Party activists have had wins but it is not without the support of the GOP. To think it is their sole dedication is a mistake many make within the Tea Party movement. It is a movement, after all, not a political party. There is a difference.

And, yes, Tea Party activists are voting for Republican candidates. The GOP is most in line with conservatives of all stripes. Let the Democrats criticize. It's what they do. They think they have a hold on all people of color and all minorities. That is finally changing. We are the party of Lincoln and of Martin Luther King, Jr. Let us continue to lift up and encourage. All of us.